Centrifuge construction



Dec. 24, 1963 A. slMoNs CENTRIFUGE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16. 1958 F/G. v/

IIIIII INVENTOR.

Dec. 24, 1963 A. slMoNs Y 3,115,457

CENTRIFUGE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 16. 3.958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A/a y.; .SM10/V5' Dec. 24, 1963 A. slMoNs CENTRIFUGE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 16, 1958 INVENTOR ALOYS SIMONS ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,lll5,457 CENTREFUGE CQNSTRUCTEGN Aloys Simons, S Nizzaaliee, Aachen, Germany Filed .lune le, 1953, Ser. No. 'MLSZ 5 Claims. (Cl. Mtl-232) The present invention relates to a centrifuge construction.

In centrifuges having a vertical drive shaft, particularly in centrifugal separators for laundries, the cover is usually sw-iveled to the housing, and easy opening and closing of the cover or lid about its axis is insured by means of a counternveight or compensating spring.

Considerable diiculty has been encountered in the construction or a closure rim which can be bolted `to the drum of the centrifuge so as to form a hinged rim or hinged cover because of the requirement that it be bolted to and revolve with the drum.

lt is possible to concentrically suspend lthe lid of the drum in laundry centrifuges from the hinged cover of the jacket of such centrifuges.

ln such case the lid is provided with a pin disposed in the axis of the drum which is rotatable in the bushing of the jacket cover. By such bushing connection :the lid of the drum may be opened and closed simultaneously with the hinged cover of the jacket.

Simultaneous opening and closing of Ithe drum lid together with the jacket cover may also be provided where a supporting arm of the drum lid is pivotally secured for mounting and removing the lid. The supporting arm is then connected to a manually operated lever rotatably disposed in the jacket of the centrifuge.

The closing and opening devices of centrifuges do not comprise rims or lids which may be bolted to the drum, but lids which are merely mounted on the drum.

Closure rims or sealing lids which can be firmly bolted to `drums require bolt-ing of the lids to the drum after the lid of the drum has been closed.

ln order -to accomplish this, it is necessary that, when the drum lid is closed, that the cover of the jacket remain open.

For this reason, centrifuges the drums of which have a boltable closing rim or lid have hitherto been made removable instead of hinged. The lid is connected to the drum by bolts swiveled into a reinforcing ring provided on the drum, for instance, in the form of a `cross beam. The lid may be lifted olf the drum when the bolts or cross beams are disengaged.

Owing to the weight of such lid and cross beams, it would require several people to lift `the lid off the centrifuge of a size generally used in laundries, so that it is customary to use hoisting machinery for lifting off and mounting the closure rims or lids which are to be bolted to the drum.

lt is an object of the present invention to so construct the rim of the drum in centrifuges that it forms a hinged cover which is easily opened.

Still `further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not *by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in tbe art Without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Por this purpose it is necessary that the lid for bolting and unbo-lting the drum should not be opened together with the cover of the jacket, but that -it be capable of being opened and closely separately.

It is necessary that the lid of the drum be able to freely revolve with the drum without obstruction by its opening mechanism.

Furthermore, for oepning and closing the lid when the centrifuge is in a position of rest and the jacket cover is open, the lid may be engaged with or disengaged from the hinge mechanism.

In accordance with the invention, the above object is attained by suspending the rim of the drum serving as the lid, on a supporting arm which is articulated to the jacket of the centrifuge.

There -is provided between the lid of the drum and the supporting arm, `a control mechanism by which ythe lid may be, if desired, caused to rotate freely with the drum in relation to the supporting arm, or it may be brought into engagement `with the supporting arm for opening the lid which has been unbolted from the jacket.

Suitable bolts, `for example, in the form of cross beams, are pivoted in a reinforcing ring provided around the edge of the jacket, for engagement of the lid with the rotating drum.

For easy opening of the closure rim forming the drum lid, the supporting arm and the lid must be substantially balanced by a counterweight or spring. Precaution should be taken that the supporting arm which, affter the lid of the drum has been disengaged, is alone exposed to the compensating forces, is locked against such forces which then considerably exceed its Weight, by a lock bolt provided on the jacket of the centrifuge.

For this purpose, the present invention provides that the supporting arm which together with the lid of the drum is balanced by a counterweight or spring, when such supporting arm is disengaged from such lid, is simultaneeously locked against an opening movement induced by the equalization force. This is accomplished by a lock boit which is automatically disengaged when the control mechanism moves to bring the lid of the drum and the supporting arm into mutual engagement.

The operating handle `of the control device for engaging the lid with or disengaging same from the supporting arm is preferably disposed so that the jacket cover is closed and the drive of the centrifuge which is dependent upon the jacket lid being closed, is actuated only when the lid is in a position of `disengagement from the supporting arm, that is, in the operating position of the centrifuge.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of `the invention, but it is Ato be understood that changes, variations and modilications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

ln the drawings wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a vertical section through the entire centrifuge.

FIG. 2 is a top vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the swivel arm showing the drum lid and the control mechanism, `the solid lines indicating the operative position of the centrifuge with the jacket cover in closed condition and disengaged from the supporting arm, the drum lid being bolted to the drum housing by cross beams, while the dash-dot lines represent the position of engagement of the lid with the supporting arm when the drum lid is being opened but does not sho-W the centrifugal safety device.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the head of the supporting arm with the control mechanism but does not show the centrifugal safety device.

FlGS. 4 to 6 are respectively sections along lines 1V- IV, V-V and Vl-VI of FlG. 2.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic top perspective view showing the entire centrifuge with the cover lifted but not showing the centrifugal safety device.

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic fragmentary top perspective View showing the interior mechanism upon an enlarged scale as compared to FGURE 7 at the center of the drum but no-t showing the centrifugal safety device.

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic fragmentary side sectional view taken upon the line 9 9 of FIGURE 7 showing the manner of attaching the drum lid to the drum housing. l

The jacket 2 of the centrifuge is supported against lateral and axial deflection by supporting blocks `1 at three points of its circumference. The jacket 2 is closed by a cover 3, the cover 3 being hinged, by imeans of V- shaped members 5. These members 5 are acted upon by compensating springs 4, around axis 6 in a bracket 7 of the jacket 2.

A drum 9, driven by a motor 8 revolves inside the jacket 2. The rim of the drum 9 carries the lid 1u and is fixed to the drum by cross beams 12 slidingly disposed within a reinforcing ring 11 on the rim of the drum housing (see FIG. 9). As shown in FIG. 9, the reinforcing ring 11 is mounted at 11a on the top of the drum 9 and has a recess 11b into which the cross beam or bolt 12 may slide or from which the bolt 12 may be withdrawn by the handle 12C. The cross beam 12 slides under the strap 12b which is mounted on the lid 11i. When the cross beams 12 are in the position shown in FIG. 9, the lid i1@ will be held down on the drum 9. When the cross beams or bolts 12 are withdrawn, the lid 1@ may be withdrawn or lifted from the drum 9.

In the center of the lid 111 there is provided a pin 13, which passes through Ithe end of a supporting arm 14 having a control mechanism which consists substantially of a thrust member 15.

Above the drum 9, there is secured to the pin 413 a plate 16, for example, by means of a screw. The supporting arm 14 `is also pivoted to the axis 6 by a boss 17 located between the V-shaped bosses 5 and the jacket cover 3. The weight of the supporting arm 14 and the lid 110 are substantially compensated by a spring 1S which is tensioned when the arm 14 and -the lid 10 close.

When the cover 3 is open, the thrust member 15 which is slidably disposed in the head of supporting arm 14, is displaced by a toggle lever 20 which pivots around the axis 19, from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 to the position shown in dash-and-dot lines in the same figure.

The control mechanism consisting substantially of the thrust member 15 and the toggle lever 21B for displacing the thrust member 15, selectively actuates the supporting arm 14 either to assume a position of engagement with the lid 10 or to cause the latter to rotate freely with the drinn- 9, by disengaging it from the supporting arm d4.

Lifting of the toggle lever for displacement of the thrust member 15 causes vertical displacement of pressure bolts 22 on both sides of the pin 13 over the inclined surfaces 21 in the head of the supporting arm 14. The bol-ts 22 are provided at their lower ends with the rollers 22a which ride on the inclined surfaces 21, as shown in FIG. 8.

In the course of the stroke, the upper faces of such bolts 22 come to lie against the undersurface of the plate 16 secured to the pin 13. In the further development of the stroke, the bolts 22 push the thrust member 15 together with the head of the supporting arm 14 downwardly thus causing one half 23 of a cone clutch f(see FIGS. 5 and 6) which is secured to the underside of the head of the supporting arm 14 to rest on the other half 24 of the clutch which is provided at the end of the pin 13.

The thrust member 15 supports a rail 25 which extends backwardly. The ends of the rail 25 terminate inside V-shaped bosses 26. A rod 27 which is preferably conveyed along the arm 14 by one or two supporting lugs, reaches into such V-shaped bosses.

l The rail 25 and the rod 27 are so interconnected by a in 23 in the rail 25 and a slot 29 in the rod 27, that the rod 2'7 is engaged only toward the end of the stroke.

At this point, the rod 27 releases a lock bolt 31 which is actuated by a spring 30, from a locking device 32. T he locking device 32 is positioned on the jacket 2 of the centrifuge. This takes place only after the clutch half 23 of the arm 14 has engaged the clutch half 2d on the lid 1d.

This will prevent the supporting arm `1lifrom lifting under the action of the spring 1S before the arm 14 has engaged the lid 111 of the drum.

After engagement of the arm 14 with the lid 11i and disengagement of the cross beams 12, the arm 14 with the lid 11b may be easily opened by the action of the spring 18 which substantially compensates for the weight of these two parts in the closing position.

After lid 1@ has been closed, first the cross beams 12 are swung under the reinforcing ring 11 of the centrifuge drum. Then, by depressing the toggle lever 2t?, the thrust member 15 is pushed back thus causing the pressure bolts 22 to be lowered from the plate 16 and the lock bolt 31 by the action of spring 31? to reach locking position 32 on the jacket 2 of the centrifuge. The supporting arm 1d with the clutch half 23 disposed on its head is then slightly lifted off the clutch half 24, so that the lid 1@ is disengaged from the supporting arm 14 and becomes freely rotatable with the drum 9. rIhereupon, the cover 3 of the housing 2 may be closed.

The cover 3 is prevented from closing prior to disengagement of the arm 14 by the fact that, when the supporting arm 14 is in a position of engagement with the rum lid 11D, the toggle lever 2li protrudes into the path of closure of the cover 3.

Since usually the drive of the centrifuge can only be actuated upon the complete closure of the cover 3, the toggle lever 2@ prevents actuation of the centrifuge before the lid 1@ is disengaged from supporting arm 14.

The control mechanism for the thrust member 15, may, if desired, be combined to function with the displacement of the cross beams 12 which secure the lid 1@ in the reinforcing ring 11, thus automatically bolting the lid 10 by the cross beams 12 in the reinforcing ring 11 simultaneously with the disengagement of the lid 111 from the supporting arm 14. Conversely, unbolting of the cross beams 12 from the drum 9 will result upon engagement of the drum lid 10.

The cross sections of FIGS. 5 and 6 represent respectively the two control positions of disengagement of the supporting arm 14 from the lid 10 and the engagement of the arm 14 with the lid 10 of the drum 9.

The opening and closing of the centrifuge proceeds as follows:

As shown in FIG. l, there may be attached on the top plate 16 of the pin 13 of the lid 1t), a safety device 33 of the centrifuge, which device is covered over by a hood 34. The safety device 33 is similar in structure to the apparatus shown in British Patent No. 28,514, dated December 8, 1910. The device is a centrifugal device and forms no part of the present invention.

After the drive motor 8 has been stopped and the centrifuge has run out and the ensuing falling back of the centrifuge weights, the cover 3 of the centrifuge jacket 2 may be opened.

On subsequent lifting of the toggle lever 2t?, the thrust member 15 causes engagement of the supporting arm 14; with the lid 10. The latch lever 31 under the action of the spring Si@ is lifted towards the end of the stroke from the detent 32 and the arm 14 is thus released from the jacket 2.

After disengagement of the cross beams 12 from the reinforcing ring 11 of the drum housing 9, it is then possible to open the lid 1t) of the drum.

After unloading of the drum and renewed loading, the

supporting arm 14 and the lid 1d, now coupled therewith, are closed.

Thereupon the cross beams 12 are caused to engage the reinforcing ring 11 of the drum housing 9.

By subsequently pressing the toggle lever 20 downwardly to position of FIG. 2, the thrust member 15 is pushed back, whereby the lid 1@ is disengaged from the supporting arm 14 and the lock lever 31 engages the detent 32 on the centrifuge jacket 2.

The compensating spring 18 for the supporting arm 14 together with the lid 1t), will lift the supporting arm 14 to the level of the detent 32 of the lock lever 31 on the jacket 2 of the centrifuge. This will clear the clutch 23, 24 and cause the lid 10 with its vertical pin 13 to be freely rotatable in the clearance of the thrust member 1S with the drum 9. Thereupon the cover 3 may be closed and the motor 3 for driving the centrifuge may be switched on.

To summarize the important features of the present invention:

(a) The closure lid of the drum 9 is suspended on a supporting arm 14 which is pivotally articulated to the centrifuge jacket 2, and a control device 15 disposed bctween the lid 1t? and the supporting arm 14, for selectively causing either the lid 10 to assume a position of free rotation with the drum 9 relative to the supporting arm 14, or to assume a position of engagement with the supporting arm 14 for opening of the lid 1li which has been unbolted from the drum housing 9.

(b) The supporting arm 14 together with the lid 1li are compensated for by a counter-weight or spring 13 and, when the lid 10 is disengaged from the supporting arm 14, the latter is simultaneously secured against an opening movement under the compensating force of a spring l by a lock lever 31 on the jacket 2 of the centrifuge, which lever is automatically disengaged from the bolting position when the controls move to couple the lid 10 with the supporting arm 14.

(c) The control device consists of a thrust member 1S which is displaceable in the head of the supporting arm 14, for example by a toggle lever 20, which thrust member 15, when in the position corresponding to the freely rotatable position of the lid 10, permits the supporting arm 14 to be lifted from the lid 10 under the action of its weight compensating and opening spring 13, up to the level determined by the lock lever' 31, while in the other position corresponding to the position of coupling of the lid 10 with the supporting arm 14, the thrust member 15' displaces vertically displaceable pressure bolts 22 which come to rest against the undersurface of a plate 16 on the center pin 13 of the lid which freely reciprocates through the thrust member 15, and subsequently presses the supporting arm 14 with the cone clutch half 23 provided on the underside of its head, onto the corresponding clutch half 24 which is disposed at the end of the center pin 13 of the lid.

(d) The thrust member is provided with la rail 25 which is elongated towards the back, which, when the thrust member 1'5 moves into the position causing the supporting arm 14 to be coupled with the lid 10, disengages the lock lever 31 which locks .the supporting arm 114 to the jacket 2.

(e) The connecting rail 25 between the thrust member 15 Iand the lock lever 31 is comprised of two parts, and by a slot 29 in the one part tand the bolt 28 of the other part engaging therein, the lock bolt 31 is disengaged only after l@he supporting arm `14 has almost or entirely engaged the lid 10 of the drum.

(f) The lever of the control device 15, 19, 20 is so disposed for engaging or disengaging the lid 10 with or from the supporting arm 14 that ythe cover 3 of the centrifuge is closed only when :the lid .10 is in position of disengagement from the supporting anm 14, that is, in the operative position of the centrifuge, and the actuation of the drive 8 of 'the centrifuge depending on the closure of the lid 3 may be effected.

l(g) A safety device 33 covered by a hood 34 is disposed ion the plate 16 of the center pin 13 of the lid 10 and passing through the cover 3 of the centrifuge, and which prevents opening of the cover 3 while the drum 9 is still revolving.

As many changes could be made in the above centrifuge construction, and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in Aa limiting sense.

Having now particularly described `and .ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. A centrifuge having yan outside xed jacket and an inside rotatable drum, means to rotate said drum, a hinged cover for said jacket, a hinged lid for said drum, said cover and said lid being separately openable and closable and each being provided with diametrioally and parallelly extending hinge arms, each hinge arm having two ends, 'a common hinge means attached to said jacket and connected to one end of each of said hinge alms, central means rotatably and reciprocatingly connecting said lid to its hinge arm and means for locking said lid to said drum, said centnal means including a thrust plate above said hinge arm, a pin centrally connecting said thrust plate to said lid, mounting means in the end of said lid hinge larm .away from said hinge means, surrounding said pin to allow said pin to rotate and reciprocate in said hinge arm, said last mentioned end of said lid hinge arm including thrust bolt means to be pressed against said thrust plate, a bottom clutch plate centrally fixed to the upper surface of said lid, a top clutch plate fixed to the lower surface of said last mentioned end of said lid hinge arm and overlying said bottom clutch plate, said clutch plates being engageable when the pressure of said thrust bolt means is applied against said thrust plate to cause downward movement of said lid hinge arm towards said lid, and a toggle-'actuated sliding cam means ioperably engaging said thrust bolt means to move the same into and out of contact with said thrust plate and to thereby engage and disengage said clutch so that said lid may be lifted with its hinge arm when said clutch is engaged and freely rotatable when said clutch is disengaged.

2. rPhe centrifuge of claim 1 wherein said toggle means is swingingly mounted, said toggle being in a vertically yextending position to prevent closure of said cover when said clutch is engaged and said lid is thereby fixed to, and liftable with, said lid hinge arm and said toggle means being in ia horizontally extending position when said clutch is disengaged and said lid is thereby detached from said lid hinge arm and free for rotation with said drum.

3. The centrifuge of claim 1, further comprising a latch lever on said lid hinge arm, la detent on said jacket and means actuable by movement of said sliding cam means to engage 'and disengage said latch lever and said detent. j

4. The centrifuge of claim 1, wherein said lid has locking cross beam means and said drum has a reinforcing ring means to engage said cross beam means to lock said lid to said drum.

5. The centrifuge of claim '1, further comprising coil spring means circumscribing said hinge means and actuable to counter-balance said cover and said lid.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,727 Miller Oct. 27, 1953 1,882,123 Debaugh Oct. 11, 1932 2,099,863 Miller NOV. 23, 1937 2,169,260 Lambach Aug. 15, 1939 2,186,704 Little et al. Ian. 9, 1940 2,907,464 Ellis Oct. 6, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,514 Great Britain June 15, 1911 

1. A CENTRIFUGE HAVING AN OUTSIDE FIXED JACKET AND AN INSIDE ROTATABLE DRUM, MEANS TO ROTATE SAID DRUM, A HINGED COVER FOR SAID JACKET, A HINGED LID FOR SAID DRUM, SAID COVER AND SAID LID BIENG SEPARATELY OPENABLE AND CLOSABLE AND EACH BEING PROVIDED WITH DIAMETRCALLY AND PARALLELLY EXTENDING HINGE ARMS, EACH HINGE ARM HAVING TWO ENDS, A COMMON HINGE MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID JACKET AND CONNECTED TO ONE END OF EACH OF SAID HINGE ARMS, CENTRAL MENAS ROTATABLY AND RECIPROCATINGLY CONNECTING SAID LID TO ITS HINGE ARM AND MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID LID TO SAID DRUM, SAID CENTRAL MEANS INCLUDING A THRUST PLATE ABOVE SAID HINGE ARM, A PIN CENTRALLY CONNECTING SAID THRUST PLATE TO SAID LID, MOUNTING MEANS IN THE END OF SAID LID HINGE ARM AWAY FROM SAID HINGE MEANS, SURROUNDING SAID PIN TO ALLOW SAID PIN TO ROTATE AND RECIPROCATE IN SAID HINGE ARM, SAID LAST MENTIONED END OF SAID LID HINGE ARM INCLUDING THRUST BOLT MEANS TO BE PRESSED AGAINST SAID THRUST PLATE, A BOTTOM CLUTCH PLATE CENTRALLY FIXED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID LID, A TOP CLUTCH PLATE FIXED TO THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID LAST MENTIONED END OF SAID LID HINGE ARM AND OVERLYING SAID BOTTOM CLUTCH PLATE, SAID CLUTCH 